Kashmiri women narrate woeful tale in Delhi meet
A cross section of Delhi’s civil society and women activists listened in silence as Parveena Ahangar, a middle-aged Kashmiri woman, narrated the torment of a mother whose son “disappeared” 20 years ago.  It’s believed that he was killed…Parveena mentioned her son only once. …Parveena is in Delhi with a group of Kashmiri women… invited here by Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia WISPA.

 …Parveena recounts the chilling story of 8-year old Samir Khan… Parweena formed the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP)…. According to her, over 8,000 cases of such disappearance are recorded….” 
C A L L
         
Crouching slowly
To comb the tousled strands
Of my poem
The moist breeze of ideas
Had begun to ferry
The landscape of words
When rushes shrieked
And harps in hedges
Went mute
   (- hearing her voice)

“Of one colour you will find
The votive threads and my veil,
      Same flicker you will find
     Of my eyes and the lamps
      (-placed on Karevas)
What is strewn on every path?
…Flowers or blood?
 Who can tell?
     Willow tresses, song of brooks
     …Unkempt hair and my call.
Arms outstretched
Pines and chinar
Keep vigil with me
…For a glimpse of you.

     Still in dalliance
        (-with a dream?)
    …Captive?
    Eliminated?
       -upstream
     Speak up child
     Hear my call.

See your sibling
Arisen today
Clamouring in his own way
For your father’s piece of land
That you wished to embellish
With your own hand
 
I used to tell you
To emulate his temper
You listened not
 So I thought
Time will calm you
Or balm me with forbearance
But I was wrong
Gashes weep
Pains shriek
Parched voice words my call

Wish you return
Suddenly
And cup my eyes
From behind
Whispering softly
The name you gave me
Before I could think of one
For you my child
      (-Ma).
   Stream of thoughts puts me on the track I hesitated to take till now and today I speak with my eyes focused on the keyboard.

    Mindless violence of all kinds, whether committed my one party or the other is condemnable. No politicized ism or ideology that thrives on human corpses can be more valuable than human life. Unfortunately history of this globe dating back to centuries is replete with gory events where poor, simpletons have been exploited to hilt in all conceivable ways by selfish power hungry kings, monarchs, emperors, imperials, alliances,& power blocks by projecting their real intentions in garbed manners, in the guise of popular sentiments. Once their agenda was fulfilled who cared for common masses who sacrificed life mindlessly. Themselves they graduated to Zill e Illahi podium while these goats continued to lead dog’s life. Palaces thrived; in dark hutments & shanty shacks life oozed out in the form sobs, sighs, tears & afflictions. Democracy and welfare dispersal promises of under developed countries failed to change the lot of these hapless exploited masses. Sparrow headed majority who largely throng to polling stations for propelling few dozen neo-Maharajas or priest-kings do not comprehend yet that age of selfless leaders is gone.

Think for a while and be honest to your head & heart while finding an answer. Can you consciously batter the life of your beloved child for a thing inferior to life; say a building that can be rebuilt with money, or anything without which life can go on? If the answer is no then how can you play with the life of other’s child?  If you safeguard and guide your child, then why not that of your neighbour or kin! Isn’t the gist of religion as simple as to do unto others as you wish others to do unto you? Recall sayings of beloved prophet about rights of neighbours, accountability status of haqooq ul ibaad, murder of one man is murder of whole humanity. Think for a while on general amnesty or forgiving the Jew who urinated in mosque (because such insane acts can be done only by lunatics). Bring to foreground of thought how patiently prophet, be peace upon him, along with his handful of followers, did not even slap any one of the persecutors for one decade, when he was physically stronger- being in the age group of 40 & 50. Then we have the great example of the extreme patience exhibited by Shah e Vilayet- who was otherwise known as Sher-i- khuda. Both prior to prophet’s demise and thereafter. Recall that holy prophet (SAW) preferred to purchase the land for first mosque in Medina, unlike our style of maqbozai ahl e islam. Doesn’t Islam stand for education, continuous reform, up gradation on all levels, in all arenas? To evolve into a better human being! To imbibe divine qualities and attributes! To justify our titles of ashraf ul makhlookaat…Khaleefa… vice regent on earth..! To turn our potentialities into actualities so that in the words of Allama  Iqbal…
Urooj-e-aadam-e-khaki say anjum sehmaay jatay hain;
ke yeh toota hova tara mahaay kaamil na ban jaye.
To cut it short, to become mature and civilized in true sense so that we are not exploited and we become not exploiters but embodiment of all good worthy to live in harmony & peace co existentially…fit to call patterns; better emulated; thereby putting to shame those who wrong us intentionally. While dealing with conflicting issues a limit has to be set how far back in history can we go prudentially so that we do not get ruined in the mazy ruins of past and above all the quantum and quality of achievement should be more than what we loose. Sages say past is past for all practical purposes. What matters most is the pulsating present. Future is too distant and yet to unfold. Be too much occupied with past or future you will snatch the present. So live in present, enjoy it and give the present in beautiful packaging to your present generation. 

(Feedback at sarwar_55_mindscape@fastmail.fm)

Lastupdate on : Sun, 3 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 3 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 4 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST